Including how Neil Patrick Harris almost ruined Christmas.

Think back to your biggest kitchen fails, whether it was burning a batch of cookies, undercooking a chicken, or some other form of botched recipe. You don't have to feel so bad about it anymore, because Neil Patrick Harris's was probably worse. When chatting with Bon Appétit at the premiere of Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events Harris revealed his most unfortunate cooking disaster: nearly ruining Christmas dinner when his brisket didn't go up in smoke.

Below, the rest of the cast reveals their biggest disasters, including a dessert experiment so bad that someone "lost several friends." Thankfully the food in the the book-turned-movie-turned-TV-series (premiering January 13 on Netflix) is far better, and may have you craving Pasta Puttanesca after episode one.

Neil Patrick Harris (Count Olaf)

“For Christmas one year I was in charge of a brisket—which takes a really long time to slowly cook in a smoker—and I set it and left it overnight. When I woke up, the fire had gone out completely and we ended up with a terrible, unevenly-cooked brisket. We threw it in the oven and [husband] David [Burtka] saved the day."

Daniel Handler (Executive Producer and Writer)

“When I was in my 20s I lived in a tiny apartment and used to have cookie parties where everyone brought a plate. One day I thought that with leftover bread you could make bread pudding, so surely with leftover cookies you could make cookie pudding! So I made a pudding base and added the cookies and baked it. It turned out to be like what is at the bottom of a sugar cereal when you’re done—it was like hot milk and crumbs. It was awful. I lost several friends to that, whom I’ve never regained.”

Usman Ally (Hook-Handed Man)

“My wife and I tried to make a mole sauce for a turkey for Thanksgiving—it was actually my wife's unfortunate disaster! It didn’t taste anything like mole. It kind of tasted like something that might come out after eating mole.”

Jackie and Joyce Robbins (Henchwomen)

“We accidentally cooked a chicken still in the plastic wrapper and were wondering why there were little fire spurts coming out of the oven."

Matty Cardarople ("Henchperson of Indetermined Gender")

“Whenever I burn toast, that really sucks. It's such a bummer. Toast is the greatest.”

He's right, toast IS the greatest. We'll just leave this here:

38 Recipes for Toast, Crostini, Bruschetta, and Toppings

Fried bread is our contribution to the classic niçoise. And this recipe is the moment to splurge on the best-quality tuna (we love Ortiz brand) you can afford—it makes all the difference in a simple preparation like this. The meaty, sustainably caught Spanish tuna packed in buttery olive oil is worth the splurge.

Crispy roasted broccoli proves it works just as well as an appetizer as it does a side dish. Use broccoli stems in any recipe that calls for florets; their crunch provides a nice textural contrast. Leave the peels on the garlic cloves so they steam and become creamy inside their skins when roasted. If you don’t have ricotta, mix the mashed roasted garlic into mayonnaise instead.

Piled high with softened leeks and fresh fava beans, this tartine might—might!—make you forget about avocado toast. Slicing the leeks with the grain prevents them from falling apart into mush after getting caramelized. This recipe from Botanica is part of Healthyish Superpowered, a dinner series honoring female activists and chefs across the country, in partnership with Caviar.

A day-old loaf of good bread can reach new heights when it’s thick-cut and pan-fried in olive oil. We top these giant croutons with steamed clams or mussels, sink them into brothy soups, and crumble them over big salads. But this recipe, a saucy little mix of beans, greens, and garlic, gives us a reason to look forward to Meatless Monday.

This versatile peak-of-summer condiment can be served on top of white rice, pasta, toast, steamed fish, steak, or roast chicken. This recipe is part of the Healthyish Farmers’ Market Challenge. Get all 10 recipes here.

If we had to give this toast a bunch of random personality traits, we’d describe it as a rule-breaking hothead with a softer side. Spicy, pungent kimchi plus smooth cream cheese, topped with a scallion salad—on toast. Weirdly, it works.

Ever wish you could master restaurant-style egg toasts? Well now you can with this salty, smoky, creamy combo. Crème fraîche is the secret ingredient for a custardy scramble, and high-quality smoked fish and good bread are worth the splurge—they make all the difference here.